Residents are dealing with persistent flooding in Georgetown County, South Carolina
The city council of Georgetown County, South Carolina, has cut rainwater funding for the second year in a row.
Georgetown County residents voiced their concerns on February 23 in a virtual call about how the 2014 Capital Project Sales Tax surplus will be spent. The surplus amounts to a total of $ 12.5 million and each board member received $ 1 million to spend on capital projects in his district, the Post and Courier reported.
11 community members spoke out in opposition to the decree, the Post and Courier reported, asking for it to be postponed. Adequate flood drainage and parks for children to play were key points that community members drew the attention of the council on.
According to Tracy Jones, manager of the county’s stormwater division, the budget was smaller for 2021 because director of public works Ray Funnye and county administrator Angela Christian did not approve some planned projects, the Post and Courier reported.
So far, the county has focused on financing other projects this year, including library renovations.
Councilwoman Lillie Johnson, representing Spring Gully District 4, did not consult with her constituents before proposing that her $ 1 million be used for improvements to the library, the Post and Courier reported. Johnson met with his constituents on March 4 and declined to comment on whether the consultations had taken place before or not.
Some of the other unapproved projects are drain improvements at Boyle Drive in Litchfield. The county is currently working to obtain permissions for this project, according to public information officer Jackie Broach, reported Post and Courier.
Planning for the 2022 budget has already started and several departments have already submitted their budgets. These budgets will be presented to the board at the end of April.